-----------------
Part Three: At Dunharrow
-----------------
Éowyn led her people to Dunharrow as her uncle had decreed. She feared for Aragorn's life as much as Éomer's. She rued not following, though she had dressed in armour as they left. Every night she sat, waiting for news of her beloved. Five days passed before he came.
He, along with many men (to appearances they were kin, but perhaps they were not), arrived with the Dwarf and Elf that had visited Edoras. Éowyn delighted in their speech of slaughter at the Hornburg, and of the valour shown by the House of Eorl.
"Lords," she said, "you are weary and shall now go to your beds with such ease as can by contrived in haste. Tomorrow fairer housing shall be found for you."
At dinner Aragorn announced that the company would leave after breakfast next morning, due to their urgent errand.
Éowyn grinned and blushed slightly. He had come so far out of his way to see her! Perhaps they did have a chance.
"Though such a journey would not have been one wasted," he said, "My road leads from Dunharrow."
Éowyn's dream was squashed. "Lord, you are astray," she said coldly. "No road runs out of Dunharrow other than the one by which you came."
"Nay lady, I am not astray. I am older than you guess, and had travelled these lands many years ere your birth."
Éowyn was again confused. How old was he? The Lord Aragorn looked to be in his mid-30's, at oldest. Éowyn herself was only 26, so he would have to have been crawling or toddling through Rohan! (In actuality, Aragorn was 88 but that matters not.) Then he spoke again:
"There is a road that leads through the Harrowdale - one I must take. Tomorrow I shall ride the Paths of the Dead."
Éowyn covered her mouth with her hand and colour drained from her face. The Paths of the Dead! None from the House of Eorl grew up without hearing the tale of Baldor son of Brego Hall-builder, who should have been the third King of the Mark. He had taken the Paths of the Dead and never returned! To follow that road was certain death, for the Dead do not often wish to be disturbed.
"Do you seek death, Aragorn?" she asked earnestly. "For they do not suffer the living to pass?"
"They may suffer me to pass," replied the Dúnadan. "But no other road will serve. I have need of greatest haste."
Éowyn was desperate. "These are great men, who would be sorely missed on the battlefield. Await my brother and the King - 'tis men like you they shall need, and our hope will be the brighter knowing that you march with them."
"Lady, this was a path appointed to me, and I do not force any of these men to follow. Those who wish may ride with the Rohirrim, but I shall tread the Paths of the Dead - alone if needs be." Then the meal was silent, until it ended.
"I thank you for your gracious care of us, lady," said Aragorn, "But we must now take our leave. We must rest, for we may not sleep for many days after this. Good night."
-----------------
Part Four: Harrowdale at Night
-----------------
Éowyn was troubled still by Aragorn's words and followed him to his lodgings for that night.
"Aragorn," she said, "Why do you go on this deadly road?"
"Because I must. This perilous path was chosen for me; to play a part in this war I must take this road. If I were to follow my heart I would be far to the north, in Rivendell."
Éowyn was troubled, for she had heard of Rivendell - a dwelling of Elves. Perhaps it was the same as this Imladris place. Then she placed her hand on his arm. She undetectibly felt the muscles there. "You are a great lord, worthy of honour. If you must go, let me go too."
"Your duty is with your people," he said kindly. "Did you not accept this responsibility in Edoras? You cannot desert your people. At least, not without the King's leave."
"I am weary of duty! I am weary of finding food and beds for the warriors while I must behave like a serving woman! My duty was to my King, and now that he no longer needs my help, may I not live my life as I please?"
Aragorn sighed. "Few may do that with honour. And soon there may be a time when no warriors return. Your part is just as important, for without promise food and beds the warriors would never return."
"I can ride, and wield blade," Éowyn said, with desperation. "Let me ride with you tomorrow, you shall not regret it. I fear neither pain nor death."
"And what do you fear, lady?"
"A cage, to stay within one until it is accepted, and all chance of great deeds is gone."
Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "Yet you advise me not to take the Paths, because they are perilous."
Éowyn gave way. "So one may counsel another, but I would not see someone so great and excellent cast their life away needlessly."
"Nor would I, so I say to you: stay! You have no errand in the South."
Éowyn turned. "Nor do those that follow you, but they go for they would not be parted from you, for they love you." Under her breath, she murmured, "As do I." But Aragorn caught these words and remembered it.
*****
Later that evening, Éowyn did a final check of the camp, to make sure all were comfortable and at ease. Finally she reached Aragorn.
"Is all to your liking, Lord?" she asked graciously.
"Nay, Lady," he said. "Pray, sit." And she did. "I see your discontent. I blame you not for wanting to prove yourself. Too often have you been forced to 'act womanly' and you now want to exercise other tools than the knitting needle and the spoon. I would take you along, were I more certain of the end."
"Aragorn," said Éowyn, "I would follow you to the Inland Sea and back, even had I to run the whole way. As I said earlier, I fear neither pain nor death."
Aragorn was silent for a moment. "I have had word from the north. My lady awaits my return. And yet . . ."
"I know not who she is," ventured Éowyn, knowing fully the risk she was taking, "But I know that she could never feel for you what I do. I only wish to please you, to follow you, to love you. Aragorn, she is older than me, but Elves grow weary of the world and of those in it. Men do not. We live and love to the full, every moment of every day."
Aragorn looked pensive for a moment, then his expression relaxed. A decision was made.
"Éowyn," Aragorn soothed, "Come here." They embraced. The embrace became a kiss, one for which Éowyn had yearned often. The kiss grew stronger and deeper. Aragorn looked deep into Éowyn's eyes and saw a soul there, beyond his understanding, beyond words, beyond love, and his heart blazed. It was a feeling he got when he looked at Arwen, but stronger. He closed his eyes to see Éowyn, and again that warmth. He thought of Arwen. A flicker, nothing more. It had been fading for a long time, but this was the end. Aragorn opened his eyes. His lips still met Éowyn's. He began to move his hand towards her thigh, but as it touched, Éowyn placed her hand on it. They parted.
"Nay," she said. "I am a maiden, and a maiden I shall remain till I marry." Éowyn softened, and they shared a final embrace. Éowyn crept noiselessly out of his quarters, to her own. The rest of the night was spent in tears of joy and grief until sleep claimed her. She loved him so, and now knew that he loved her, too. But he would leave tomorrow, and never come back. She was filled with pride at her refusal, but feared it might have been seen as a rejection.
Then Éowyn came to a decision also. What if he did come through the Dwimorberg, on the other side? He would head for Minas Tirith. There also Éomer and Théoden would go, by a more direct route. They were due in a few days. Éowyn looked East.
Part Three: At Dunharrow
-----------------
Éowyn led her people to Dunharrow as her uncle had decreed. She feared for Aragorn's life as much as Éomer's. She rued not following, though she had dressed in armour as they left. Every night she sat, waiting for news of her beloved. Five days passed before he came.
He, along with many men (to appearances they were kin, but perhaps they were not), arrived with the Dwarf and Elf that had visited Edoras. Éowyn delighted in their speech of slaughter at the Hornburg, and of the valour shown by the House of Eorl.
"Lords," she said, "you are weary and shall now go to your beds with such ease as can by contrived in haste. Tomorrow fairer housing shall be found for you."
At dinner Aragorn announced that the company would leave after breakfast next morning, due to their urgent errand.
Éowyn grinned and blushed slightly. He had come so far out of his way to see her! Perhaps they did have a chance.
"Though such a journey would not have been one wasted," he said, "My road leads from Dunharrow."
Éowyn's dream was squashed. "Lord, you are astray," she said coldly. "No road runs out of Dunharrow other than the one by which you came."
"Nay lady, I am not astray. I am older than you guess, and had travelled these lands many years ere your birth."
Éowyn was again confused. How old was he? The Lord Aragorn looked to be in his mid-30's, at oldest. Éowyn herself was only 26, so he would have to have been crawling or toddling through Rohan! (In actuality, Aragorn was 88 but that matters not.) Then he spoke again:
"There is a road that leads through the Harrowdale - one I must take. Tomorrow I shall ride the Paths of the Dead."
Éowyn covered her mouth with her hand and colour drained from her face. The Paths of the Dead! None from the House of Eorl grew up without hearing the tale of Baldor son of Brego Hall-builder, who should have been the third King of the Mark. He had taken the Paths of the Dead and never returned! To follow that road was certain death, for the Dead do not often wish to be disturbed.
"Do you seek death, Aragorn?" she asked earnestly. "For they do not suffer the living to pass?"
"They may suffer me to pass," replied the Dúnadan. "But no other road will serve. I have need of greatest haste."
Éowyn was desperate. "These are great men, who would be sorely missed on the battlefield. Await my brother and the King - 'tis men like you they shall need, and our hope will be the brighter knowing that you march with them."
"Lady, this was a path appointed to me, and I do not force any of these men to follow. Those who wish may ride with the Rohirrim, but I shall tread the Paths of the Dead - alone if needs be." Then the meal was silent, until it ended.
"I thank you for your gracious care of us, lady," said Aragorn, "But we must now take our leave. We must rest, for we may not sleep for many days after this. Good night."
-----------------
Part Four: Harrowdale at Night
-----------------
Éowyn was troubled still by Aragorn's words and followed him to his lodgings for that night.
"Aragorn," she said, "Why do you go on this deadly road?"
"Because I must. This perilous path was chosen for me; to play a part in this war I must take this road. If I were to follow my heart I would be far to the north, in Rivendell."
Éowyn was troubled, for she had heard of Rivendell - a dwelling of Elves. Perhaps it was the same as this Imladris place. Then she placed her hand on his arm. She undetectibly felt the muscles there. "You are a great lord, worthy of honour. If you must go, let me go too."
"Your duty is with your people," he said kindly. "Did you not accept this responsibility in Edoras? You cannot desert your people. At least, not without the King's leave."
"I am weary of duty! I am weary of finding food and beds for the warriors while I must behave like a serving woman! My duty was to my King, and now that he no longer needs my help, may I not live my life as I please?"
Aragorn sighed. "Few may do that with honour. And soon there may be a time when no warriors return. Your part is just as important, for without promise food and beds the warriors would never return."
"I can ride, and wield blade," Éowyn said, with desperation. "Let me ride with you tomorrow, you shall not regret it. I fear neither pain nor death."
"And what do you fear, lady?"
"A cage, to stay within one until it is accepted, and all chance of great deeds is gone."
Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "Yet you advise me not to take the Paths, because they are perilous."
Éowyn gave way. "So one may counsel another, but I would not see someone so great and excellent cast their life away needlessly."
"Nor would I, so I say to you: stay! You have no errand in the South."
Éowyn turned. "Nor do those that follow you, but they go for they would not be parted from you, for they love you." Under her breath, she murmured, "As do I." But Aragorn caught these words and remembered it.
*****
Later that evening, Éowyn did a final check of the camp, to make sure all were comfortable and at ease. Finally she reached Aragorn.
"Is all to your liking, Lord?" she asked graciously.
"Nay, Lady," he said. "Pray, sit." And she did. "I see your discontent. I blame you not for wanting to prove yourself. Too often have you been forced to 'act womanly' and you now want to exercise other tools than the knitting needle and the spoon. I would take you along, were I more certain of the end."
"Aragorn," said Éowyn, "I would follow you to the Inland Sea and back, even had I to run the whole way. As I said earlier, I fear neither pain nor death."
Aragorn was silent for a moment. "I have had word from the north. My lady awaits my return. And yet . . ."
"I know not who she is," ventured Éowyn, knowing fully the risk she was taking, "But I know that she could never feel for you what I do. I only wish to please you, to follow you, to love you. Aragorn, she is older than me, but Elves grow weary of the world and of those in it. Men do not. We live and love to the full, every moment of every day."
Aragorn looked pensive for a moment, then his expression relaxed. A decision was made.
"Éowyn," Aragorn soothed, "Come here." They embraced. The embrace became a kiss, one for which Éowyn had yearned often. The kiss grew stronger and deeper. Aragorn looked deep into Éowyn's eyes and saw a soul there, beyond his understanding, beyond words, beyond love, and his heart blazed. It was a feeling he got when he looked at Arwen, but stronger. He closed his eyes to see Éowyn, and again that warmth. He thought of Arwen. A flicker, nothing more. It had been fading for a long time, but this was the end. Aragorn opened his eyes. His lips still met Éowyn's. He began to move his hand towards her thigh, but as it touched, Éowyn placed her hand on it. They parted.
"Nay," she said. "I am a maiden, and a maiden I shall remain till I marry." Éowyn softened, and they shared a final embrace. Éowyn crept noiselessly out of his quarters, to her own. The rest of the night was spent in tears of joy and grief until sleep claimed her. She loved him so, and now knew that he loved her, too. But he would leave tomorrow, and never come back. She was filled with pride at her refusal, but feared it might have been seen as a rejection.
Then Éowyn came to a decision also. What if he did come through the Dwimorberg, on the other side? He would head for Minas Tirith. There also Éomer and Théoden would go, by a more direct route. They were due in a few days. Éowyn looked East.